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Rocko1 Posts: 601
3/11/2021
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Brian and I did a 2 day backpacking trip a couple of weekends ago. We started at Lower Willows at the third water crossing. We started out on the east side of LW looking for a clean trail through-we couldn't find it. There would be short sections of passable trail that would dead end. The bushwhacking was fierce and we eventually went up on the ridge to bypass all the growth. We dropped back down and continued to Middle Willows, loaded up with water here. This is a fun section. You walk through water between 6" and 12" deep and are surrounded by reeds and shade. Really sureal to be in a desert walking through what feels like a swamp in Florida. We then went to Bailey's Cabin. Very cool place. Would have like to spend more time there but there was a large group of off roaders, shooting guns, drinking. We then pushed towards Alder Canyon and spend the night. Plenty of water flowing in Alder. Got to 35 at night. Woke up and headed towards Mangalar Spring. After searching for a while all we found was a small seep. I now think we missed the main spring from other pictures I saw. We continued back to Middle Willows and then took the bypass road back to third water crossing. Was a good time except the first 2 miles.
My take from this trip is with the exception of the drunk off roaders, I really like this area and if I went again I would avoid the jeep roads after Middle Willows. Alder Canyon is really something different and deserves it's own full day+. Brian and I have talked about exploring the canyon all the way up to the PCT near Combs Peak. If you can you really should check out Middle Willows, so much water, birds, greenery, a great contrast to the surrounding dry desert.
27 miles total, 2,400ft of elevation gain.
Some pictures.
Baileys Cabin
Accommodations
Bighorn at Middle Willows
Mortero at Alder Canyon
Seep at Mangalar Spring
Us
A video I put together.
https://youtu.be/PMggD-X-HBY
.
edited by Rocko1 on 3/11/2021
edited by Rocko1 on 3/11/2021
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Brian Posts: 231
3/11/2021
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Thanks for the trip report Rocko. One other note. We encountered 4 different vehicles driving in what should have been the closure area between middle and upper willows. When we reached upper willows we found the fence was completely gone and a roadway had been cleared through the willows in an area that used to be overgrown. Obviously someone has put in a lot of work undoing the park's work. And with no signage, it's possible that many who are driving in the closure area don't even know they aren't supposed to be there.
I sent the park a PM about this through Facebook and they told me they would inform the ranger. I'm hoping they take the opportunity of the June-September closure period to put up a new fence. If they don't, I think it's only a matter of time before people start trying to clear a path through middle willows.
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Brian Posts: 231
3/11/2021
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Here are some older pics from some of my previous trips.
The fence at upper willows (RIP) 2016
The path through middle willows was well defined and marked with ribbon trail markers this time. It wasn't that way in 2017.
Catarina spring (2017). We couldn't get anywhere near it this time because of growth.
Back when Boulder Alley was bouldery (2009)
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Scooter Posts: 114
3/11/2021
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Great trip report. Back in the day I drove from Borrego to Anza twice !! It wasn't that much fun the road was horible.
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2624
3/12/2021
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Definitely an area I went to spend more time at, just a lot of driving..
Enjoyed the pics, thanks for sharing...
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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rockhopper Posts: 668
3/12/2021
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Nice trip report. Yes, we used a Bronco II 4x4 first time back in the 1990's going from the first crossing up to Anza. I remember boulder crawling with one wheel rotating in the air many times. hehe Good times.
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Buford Posts: 461
3/12/2021
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That is definitely a cool area. Thanks for the pictures. I too have had unfortunate experiences with drunk off roaders in the area.
There used to be a trail through Lower Willows but it has been closed for a while. Is it still closed? Or did the Willows take it over during the closure?
The trail through Middle Willows is supposed to be open to hikers, equestrian and mountain bike. Last I heard not much of a trail was left. Good to know it is marked if brushy.
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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Brian Posts: 231
3/12/2021
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Buford wrote:
That is definitely a cool area. Thanks for the pictures. I too have had unfortunate experiences with drunk off roaders in the area.
There used to be a trail through Lower Willows but it has been closed for a while. Is it still closed? Or did the Willows take it over during the closure?
The trail through Middle Willows is supposed to be open to hikers, equestrian and mountain bike. Last I heard not much of a trail was left. Good to know it is marked if brushy.
Last time I was in this area was 2017. At that time there was a clear path through lower willows. Middle willows was passable but overgrown. Now the reverse is true. An easy path had been cleared through middle willows, though it still requires hiking in the middle of the stream. As for lower willows, google earth shows a clear path going through and Rocko had a GPS route that someone else had taken that agreed with the GE route. But the brush had welded itself together at several points, forcing us to go around the whole thing on the hillside.
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tekewin Posts: 371
3/13/2021
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Very nice report. You guys banked a lot of miles in 2 days. I've never seen a complete bighorn carcass. Freaky.
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Scooter Posts: 114
3/15/2021
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Ok, one more question. Going to Cougar Canyon soon, I googled Cougar Canyon just to see if anything was new. Anza Borrego State Park in November of 2020 said the canyon was closed due to mountain lion activity !! Does anyone know anything about the details of the closure. Not a big fan of the big cats.
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Brian Posts: 231
3/15/2021
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Scooter wrote:
Ok, one more question. Going to Cougar Canyon soon, I googled Cougar Canyon just to see if anything was new. Anza Borrego State Park in November of 2020 said the canyon was closed due to mountain lion activity !! Does anyone know anything about the details of the closure. Not a big fan of the big cats.
I remember seeing something about that on facebook at the time. Sorry I don't have any current info.
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Rocko1 Posts: 601
3/16/2021
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Scooter wrote:
Ok, one more question. Going to Cougar Canyon soon, I googled Cougar Canyon just to see if anything was new. Anza Borrego State Park in November of 2020 said the canyon was closed due to mountain lion activity !! Does anyone know anything about the details of the closure. Not a big fan of the big cats.
I don't see any closures related to cats. Contact visitors center, they will tell you for sure.
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Scooter Posts: 114
3/16/2021
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Ok. Thanks
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anutami Posts: 491
3/16/2021
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Rocko1 wrote:
Scooter wrote:
Ok, one more question. Going to Cougar Canyon soon, I googled Cougar Canyon just to see if anything was new. Anza Borrego State Park in November of 2020 said the canyon was closed due to mountain lion activity !! Does anyone know anything about the details of the closure. Not a big fan of the big cats.
I don't see any closures related to cats. Contact visitors center, they will tell you for sure.
When we were up there last month they had the sign up but we went anyway. We came across a sheep carcass that was picked clean so I would imagine back in Nov it was fresh :0
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Scooter Posts: 114
3/16/2021
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Thank you for the information.
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epolomsk Posts: 17
3/21/2021
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I also encountered ppl with guns at upper willows: about 5 yrs ago, they were, I think, target shooting.
But the bullets were flying over our heads where we had set up tent. We yelled alot, they eventually stopped and we packed up and moved and camped elswhere. Told rangers, but they are unlikely to be able to do anything. Just getting ahold of a ranger was pretty difficult.
About lower willows: that trail is normally maintained by san diego backcountry horsemen
(very nice ppl)
I contacted them , and they told me that they basically were not allowed to do it anymore and were negotiating with the new park superintendant about it. that was a year ago. Thanks to covid I doubt anything has been done.
--
"Except you are kindred with those who have speech with great spaces,
and the Four Winds of the Earth, and the infinite arch of God's sky,
you shall not have understanding of the Desert's lure. ...
If you love the Desert and live in it, and lie awake at night under its
low-hanging stars, you know you are a part of the pulse-beat of the Universe,
and you feel the swing of the spheres through space, and you hear through
the silence the voice of God speaking".
Idah Meacham Strobridge in Sagebrush Trilogy
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Brian Posts: 231
3/21/2021
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epolomsk, thanks for the info about lower willows. That explains a lot!
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Scallopdiver Posts: 6
5/18/2021
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@Rocko1, @brian
My buddies and are thinking of a 10-15 mile overnight backpack in this area this weekend. Any suggestions where to go? Before I read this and saw your video, I was thinking of hiking through Lower Willows to Middle Willows from the 3rd crossing? Is there another way to MW? Water along the way? Best place to camp? I would appreciate any suggestions.
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Scallopdiver Posts: 6
5/18/2021
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Or maybe and out and back to Cougar Canyon would be a better one?
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Rocko1 Posts: 601
5/18/2021
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Scallopdiver wrote:
@Rocko1, @brian
My buddies and are thinking of a 10-15 mile overnight backpack in this area this weekend. Any suggestions where to go? Before I read this and saw your video, I was thinking of hiking through Lower Willows to Middle Willows from the 3rd crossing? Is there another way to MW? Water along the way? Best place to camp? I would appreciate any suggestions.
I can't answer if there is water-call/contact the ranger. Water aside I would take the jeep road around lower willows and then connect to the wash up to to Middle Willows-hopefully there is water. From there I would exit to the north and go east-there are spots you could camp and some large boulders to explore/camp by.
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Scallopdiver Posts: 6
5/19/2021
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Rocko1 wrote:
I can't answer if there is water-call/contact the ranger. Water aside I would take the jeep road around lower willows and then connect to the wash up to to Middle Willows-hopefully there is water. From there I would exit to the north and go east-there are spots you could camp and some large boulders to explore/camp by.
Thanks for that Rocko1. For camping, are you talking about the area I have circled in this image?
edited by Scallopdiver on 5/19/2021
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Rocko1 Posts: 601
5/19/2021
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I liked this area 
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Brian Posts: 231
5/23/2021
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Hi Scallopdiver. Sorry for the late response, you may have already done your trip. A couple general things: the canyon is closed N of 3rd crossing during the summer months (I believe starting June 1) and camping isn't allowed near Lower Willows or in the vehicle closure area between Middle and Upper Willows.
For a trip up the length of the canyon, the most reliable water would be at Middle Willows. There was water in Alder Canyon when we were there, but that's seasonal and may be dry by now. The route we took up the canyon followed the wash which is shown as a road on older topo maps. Following the present route of the road would add quite a bit of distance.
There is usually water in Cougar and Sheep canyons, but I haven't been to either in a few years so my info isn't current. For a weekend backpacking trip, an alternative to the trip we did would be a sort of loop around Collins Valley, hitting Cougar, Sheep and Salvador canyons and Middle Willows (where there is a good spot to camp right outside the closure fence).
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Scallopdiver Posts: 6
5/25/2021
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Thanks Rocko1 and Brian,
I had typed a whole trip report here but got an error when submitting and lost it all.
Basically did this trip:
https://borregohiking.com/hiking/2017_lower_willows_salvador_canyon_middle_willows.html
But took Rocko1's advice and bypassed the LW on the jeep road then headed northeast to the was to MW.
There were markers along the wash that seemed to mark a trail to MW. One set of markers veered off toward Salvador Canyon.
Too hot to camp by the rock so stayed near the willows.
Steep downhill into Salvador Canyon but doable.
Then followed the road back to LW.
Hike down to Salvador Canyon
Leaving MW
edited by Scallopdiver on 5/26/2021
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Brian Posts: 231
5/25/2021
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I once tried to do that loop hike in the opposite direction, starting in Salvador Canyon and going up to the saddle. I could see some signs of where there had been a trail at one time but it was very overgrown and difficult to weave through all the spiky plants. I turned back before making it to the top.
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2624
5/26/2021
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Scallopdiver wrote:
I had typed a whole trip report here but got an error when submitting and lost it all.
Yeah, the site seems to time out quickly. I will usually type up a long TR as temp text document first then copy/paste into the website when ready.
Lots of great pics on this (combined) TR.
--
http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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Scallopdiver Posts: 6
5/26/2021
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Brian wrote:
I once tried to do that loop hike in the opposite direction, starting in Salvador Canyon and going up to the saddle. I could see some signs of where there had been a trail at one time but it was very overgrown and difficult to weave through all the spiky plants. I turned back before making it to the top.
There was no discernable trail from the saddle down to Salvador Canyon. The hike down was a steep scramble down the wash through spiky plants with a lot of boulder hopping. Hiking up would have been easier.
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Rocko1 Posts: 601
5/26/2021
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Scallopdiver wrote:
Thanks Rocko1 and Brian,
I had typed a whole trip report here but got an error when submitting and lost it all.
Basically did this trip:
https://borregohiking.com/hiking/2017_lower_willows_salvador_canyon_middle_willows.html
But took Rocko1's advice and bypassed the LW on the jeep road then headed northeast to the was to MW.
There were markers along the wash that seemed to mark a trail to MW. One set of markers veered off toward Salvador Canyon.
Too hot to camp by the rock so stayed near the willows.
Steep downhill into Salvador Canyon but doable.
Then followed the road back to LW.
Hike down to Salvador Canyon
Leaving MW
edited by Scallopdiver on 5/26/2021
Nice. How was the water at middle willows?
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Scallopdiver Posts: 6
5/26/2021
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Rocko1 wrote:
Nice. How was the water at middle willows?
I called the ranger before the trip and she hadn't been there since February. She couldn't confirm there would be water. Is was 4 to 12 inches when hiking through it. Plenty to filter for the hike out.
Looking forward to exploring the area more in the Fall.
-scallopdiver (Brian)
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Rocko1 Posts: 601
5/27/2021
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Scallopdiver wrote:
Rocko1 wrote:
Nice. How was the water at middle willows?
I called the ranger before the trip and she hadn't been there since February. She couldn't confirm there would be water. Is was 4 to 12 inches when hiking through it. Plenty to filter for the hike out.
Looking forward to exploring the area more in the Fall.
-scallopdiver (Brian)
Good to know water still flowing. Sure makes a huge difference not carrying an extra 10lbs of water.
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